How it could have been
by Ed the giant Racoon
Summary: I'm no good at summaries. It's basically how the last two books could have looked if we brought a couple of our favourite deceased charcters back into the equation. Read if you want to.


Hi, Ed Racoon here. I have long been a fan of Darren Shan, but this is my FIRST EVER attempt to write Darren Shan fanfiction. So can I ask you to be nice if you review, or offer constructive criticism. This will probably have a couple of chapters, and will contain spoilers for pretty much all of the books at some time or another. I am aware the first chapter isn't that great. But it's essential. As are most first chapters. Anyway, I promise it will get better. This story involves a couple of characters coming back from the dead and changing books 10 and 11. For what I think could be a better and more satisfying ending. I won't reveal who yet though. As I said, review if you want, it helps to keep my self confidence up.

Disclaimer- I own nothing to do with Darren Shan, except a signed copy of Trials of Death. Surprisingly enough, Darren Shan is owned by _Darren Shan._ What an amazing coincidence.

How it could have been

Taking one last look round the crowded room, avoiding looking beneath him at his fate, he let go of the villain's hand. His mission had been accomplished; it was time for him to leave the world behind. Pain shot through his already battered and scratched body. Slowly his view of the room started to blur and darken. He had a final glance at the boy who had shaped his life, been a son, friend and brother to him. Small tears fell down his face as the world spun and the overwhelming pain engulfed him. He felt like he was melting and freezing at the same time as feeling nothing. Knowing that at last he was about to move on, he mustered up the last of his strength to open his charred lips and rasp his last words almost silently.

'_Goodbye, Darren.'_

And his time came to an end.

The light was blinding him. He was free at last, floating high above the clouds and far, far away from the earth. Now there was no pain, and no feeling, and no nothing. He had stopped moving, and was just there, suspended in mid air. He was in an empty space, a room painted the colour of nothing. He wondered where he was; surely this empty place could not be paradise? Where were all the people, his friends and family who had noble deaths? Or had he not been noble enough, had he in reality not made it away from earth? Was he going to be trapped in this empty dimension forever?

Suddenly voices, pictures and memories came flooding back to him, filling his head until he thought his head would explode. The memories seemed to play out in front of him like a film. They were all blurred and distorted, but gradually some began to sharpen and linger, seeming to become 3D. This scared the man, despite the fact he had never been scared by even the most ferocious of beasts or most evil of opponents. He did something he had never done in life, and started to run. But there was nowhere to run to. In his prison, there were no walls, no windows, no ceiling, no doors and no floor. And no escape. The memories kept following him. The man dropped to his knees, sobbing. He was alone, in pain and he had gone crazy. The idea that such a tough warrior had been reduced to a crying, insane wreck in minutes by his own mind and thoughts was almost funny. Through his tears he let out a snort. Asked a mere hour ago, he would have said the idea of him crying was about as likely as Mr Tiny being helpful. But here he was. He pulled himself together and stopped his tears. How could his own mind hurt him?

After watching the memories flash past him for hours, they stopped. One particular memory seemed to linger. It was of an old man and a woman, both with ginger hair. They were nodding their heads approvingly and smiling at him. The man held back tears as he looked at them. Two faces he hadn't seen since his 18th birthday. Two faces he now might not see again. His parents. They stayed for a few minutes, waving but not speaking, and then faded back into the whirl of colour and sounds that were his memory. The man cried out. He'd wanted that memory to stay with him. Other memories did the same thing. People he'd briefly known, a man he'd worked with, a child he'd been friends with when he was younger. He could not bear to think that it now might be lost forever when he'd held onto it for so long. The tears were now flowing freely once again. Where were the others? The friends he'd held so dear. The people he admired so greatly, the warriors that had one his hard to earn respect? The changes made him dizzy and sick. He passed out.

He woke up to see four people standing over him and no more memories whirling away in the background. He stared at them for a long time; they seemed to think he was asleep. What did they want? Why couldn't he be allowed to be dead in peace? He wanted to be in paradise, not the confusing and lonely place he was in now. But as he sat up to get a better look at the memories that were watching him, he recognised the very familiar faces and leaped up in joy. These were the people he'd waited so long to see again. He thought he must finally be in paradise. But looking around, he was still in the same infinite place he was before. Was this what paradise was like?

The only woman in the group spoke.

'We've been waiting a long time for you. Now the wait is complete. It's time to go.'

'To paradise?'

'No,' said one of the men. He pointed his finger to the space beneath their feet. 'Back down there'

'But... that place was the cause of so much misery and pain. This place may be lonely and confusing but it at least will not hurt me'

'But is not right for us to be here' said one of the other men. 'We still have not completed our life's work.'

'But why should I have to go?'

'Because there is a boy who without you will turn to a miserable, soulless creature bent on destroying the world' said the woman.

The man could not argue with this. He had never been able to argue with the woman anyway. And besides, there was a high chance that he was dreaming. The woman gestured to a glowing circle that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the floor. The man stood in it uncertainly, followed by two of the other men and the woman. The man who had not followed them waved and disappeared.

'He was not supposed to accompany us on our quest,' said one of the remaining men, answering the unspoken question.

Then, there was a flash of light and, for the second time, the man passed out.

The man woke up and opened his eyes. His companions were still out cold on the floor. They were no longer in the infinite space; they were in a cave the man had never seen before. He rubbed his sore back and looked around for any signs other than himself and his friends. A voice came from high above him, waking the rest of the group.

'Well, this is a surprise! Whatever have you and your friends been doing to end up here Larten?'

A/N- As I said above, reviews keep me going, but don't feel that you HAVE to review. It would be nice though.


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